Composition for oxidizing and purifying explosion-gases.



s PATENT oEErcE.

HERBERT WALKER, OF KNIGHTS, TRANSVAAL.

COMPOSITION FOR OXIDIZING AND PURIFYING EXPLOSION-GASES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT VVALKER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Knights, Transvaal, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Appertaining to Compositions for Oxidizing and Purifying Explosion-Gases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the destruction of noxious or poisonous fumes or gases which are created or liberated in blasting operations in mines and the like.

It has for its object to obviate the deleterious effects such fumes or gases have on the health of miners.

By the use of the invention a considerable saving of time is effected as it allows the miner to return to his Work immediately or almost immediately after blasting, which represents a saving of at least half an hour after each cut and at least one hour after each round it completely destroys or neutralizes all poisonous gases and fumes as well as the greater part of the smoke or products of combustion resulting from the ignition of the dynamite blasting charges; it settles all or practically all the dust instantly after the blasting operations and leaves the place perfectly clear thirty feet from the face; it allows the air-valve through which air is passed into the working, to be turned off five minutes (more or less) after blasting instead of it being left open for an hour as is now the custom, and as the gases and smoke are destroyed or neutralized and replaced by a large quantity of oxygen the atmosphere in the working is purified and enriched.

The invention consists essentially of the use in blasting operations, in combination with the ordinary blasting materials, of a mixture of permanganate of potash, sal-ammoniac, and chlorate of potash, and the object aimed at is the destruction or neutralization of the poisonous fumes or gases liberated in blasting operations.

In order that my invention and the manner of putting the same into practice may be more thoroughly understood I will describe the process or mode of manufacturing a given quantity.

The several ingredients are used more or less in the following proportions :Perman ganate of potash ten pounds by weight. Sal-ammoniac one half dram by weight. Chlorate of potash one half to one and a half drams by weight. The half dram (more or Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 15, 1905.

Patented June 22, 1909.

Serial No. 250,298.

less) of finely ground sal-ammoniac is thoroughly mixed or incorporated with the ten pounds (more or less) of permanganate of potash. After these two ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, the half to one and a half drams (more or less) of chlorate of potash (preferably in the form of fine crystals) are then thoroughly mixed or incorporated. In case the chlorate of potash used in the form of a powder then approximately twice the above quantity is used. The three ingredients having been thoroughly mixed, are then made up in the form of cartridges or sticks.

The covering or casing into which the mixture is placed to form the cartridge should be strong so as to stand handling and should also be of a somewhat waterproof nature so that should the cartridge be put into a wet hole, the water will not impair or affect it for some time or before the dynamite charge in the hole is exploded.

For machine drilled holes the cartridges are preferably made about one and seven eighths of an inch in diameter and one half pound in weight, and one stick or cartridge of the material is used to five sticks of dynamite. For hand drilled holes the cartridges are preferably made about seven eighths of an inch in diameter and one quarter of a pound in weight. The mixture is used in the same proportions as for the machine drilled holes, that is to say a one quarter pound stick of the mixture is used to five quarter pound sticks of dynamite.

In use the ordinary dynamite charge is preferably placed in the hole and then a quantity of the mixture for destroying the fumes and gases, then the usual primer, and finally the cap and fuse, the ignition being effected in the ordinary manner. The manner of using the material may be varied as may be preferred or found most suitable.

It has long been well known that upon explosion in air poor in oxygen (as, for instance, in mines) complete combustion of the charge does not always take place, but is, 011 the contrary, reducedas compared with the action when the charge is exploded in the open air. Owing to the poor supply of air in a mine, and perhaps to the non-complete combustion of the exploded charge, the air near the place of explosion becomes charged with poisonous gases, which very slowly decompose into the components, and which violently affect the breathing organs of workmen as well as being poisonous. In employing the new mixture (in conjunction with the explosion of the charge), it has been found that the permanganate of potassium (one of the strongest oxygen-yielding substances known) yields sufficient oxygen to cause complete combustion of the charge and to overcome and destroy the noxious gases due to the explosion, and so far improving the air that the workmen may, in safety and without inconvenience, almost immediately resume work at the place where the xplosion occurred. With regard to the chlorate of potassium, in the novel mixture, it is well known that this also yields oxygen, quickly starting the desired reaction, and assisting the permanganate of potassium to perform its functions; in addition it serves as a means for detonating the compound.

The mixture destroys noxious fumes by supplying an additional amount of oxygen, and thus insuring that complete combustion will take place. In this way, the formation of the highly poisonous carbonic oxid (00) is prevented, all the carbon present being completely oxidized into carbon dioxid (CO What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is z-- 1. Amixture for destroying the noxious or poisonous fumes or gas arising during the blasting in mines, consisting of permanganate of potassium, chlorid of ammonium, and chlorate of potassium.

2. A mixture for destroying the noxious or poisonous fumes or gases arising during blasting in mines, consisting of permanganate of potassium, chlorid of ammonium, and chlorate of potassium, in the following proportions: K Mn O ten pounds; NILCl, one-half dram; KClO 1ito 3 drams.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subsc *ibing witnesscs.

HERBERT WALKER. Witnesses:

GnAs. OVENDALE, R. OVENDALE. 

